Do Animals Have Feelings? - Jewell Utt
I’ve often wondered if wild animals feel sadness, hurt, or loss. I learned the answer today. As the saddest display unfolded in my backyard. Two vultures were on the ground while several circled overhead. I knew prey was in their sight. A few minutes earlier I had glanced out to see the resident groundhog milling around. When the vultures appeared en masse, I thought surely he saw his demise. A closer look with the binoculars though, revealed the truth. The unmistakable spots of a new fawn were easy to detect. He was laying in the grass, but I wasn’t certain if he was dead.
As the vultures moved in and began to peck at him, a doe surfaced from the nearby woods. She walked slowly over to her fawn, the birds backed up respecting her space. There was no squabble between them, they simple stepped away and hung their heads in wait. She nuzzled the fawn with her nose, prodding and poking. She walked around her babe several times, but something else had her concerned. She kept looking in the direction of the woods, bushes prevented me from seeing what was there.
Her ways and movements expressed so much. Love for her fawn, hope that it would rise, and anxiety for the mystery behind the brush. Was it a bear, more vultures, or another fawn? I didn’t know, but clearly her attentions were divided. Again she circled the fawn, then simply stood there, appearing uncertain of what to do next. The birds remained in patient wait. Then suddenly, one broke the trance and moved in for the meal, then came another. She put herself between the birds and her baby, ever so slowly she kept them at bay, determined to have her last moments undisturbed. When satisfied, she raised her head and regally walked away. Each step purposeful. Each step graceful.
The vultures moved in, establishing their hierarchy of feeding. I watched as nature took its course. Amazed at the grace of the doe. Amazed by the respect of the vultures. Amazed how God provides for two needs in the moment: a clean-up crew and lunch for the raptors. I have to admit I was sad it wasn’t the pesky groundhog. :-0
The most amazing thing happened next…
The doe resurfaced. This time with another fawn. Again she walked over to her wounded fawn, sniffed, circled, and just stood there. This time the birds held their positions and kept pecking. Her other fawn came close, took a look, then kept a distance from the scene. Suddenly, it appeared Mama had enough of the birds, she stomped her front hooves towards them in warning. A few raced out of her path. And just like that, with her head held high, she walked over to her live fawn, touched its nose, and majestically walked into the woods with her babe prancing and frolicking behind.
It reminded me of the story of David. Deeply distressed he beseeched God to spare the life of his son. He fasted and prayed ” lying on the ground all night.” He refused to be pulled away for food or rest.” Then, “On the seventh day the baby died.”
“David got up from the floor, washed himself, put lotions on, and changed his clothes. Then he went into the Lord’s house to worship.” The doe simply walked off into the woods.
While David’s baby lived, he had hope. Once the baby passed , he knew he couldn’t bring him back and went about the business of living.
David said, “While the baby was still alive, I fasted, and I cried. But now that the baby is dead, why should I fast? I can’t bring him back to life. Someday I will go to him, but he cannot come back to me.”
You can read the entire story in II Samuel 12:1-25
Just as the mother doe moved on, so did David. There is a time to mourn and a time to live.
Nature teaches us bountiful lessons. May we learn from them.
